Programmed
by illusionary science
Summary: A/U Life isn't simple, unfortunately for Desmond niether is death. 121 years after his death the most powerful company on earth is bringing him back. For what purpose he has absolutely no idea, but maybe with the help of his allies maybe he'll find out, if he can keep from dying, again.
1. Prolouge

A/N, You honestly have no idea how fun it was to write the prologue. The others chapters so far have been fun as well which is good.

I'm not sure when I'll be updating 'Tell Me' but I should get the next chapter of 'Half A Dozen Secrets' up soon, well as soon as I've decided how to write Perry's view point.

Depending on how this story goes I might put up the other one I've been working on as well.

This is an A/U, as you've no doubt noticed; I'm rather fond of them.

_Rating: _T for death and eventual coarse language.

_Summary: _ Desmond Miles died when he was twenty one years old. No one was aware of the significance. 121 years later they're bringing him back.

Disclaimer: I don't Assassin's creed, or any Rise against songs/lyrics

To spend your waking moments (simply killing time)

Desmond tightens his grip on the handles and leans down into his bike. He's burning through gas quickly and will have to stop soon to refuel. He speeds up and wind rushes through his hair, it stings his eyes even behind the glasses he's wearing. His helmet is at home, the trip is quick, and he won't need it.

Blurs of buildings rush past as he swerves around car after car. He can see his destination now and swings into the next lane.

A horn rings out, loud and startling he feels fear run through his body as he sees the truck hammer towards him. Instinct has him turning the bike away but he's barely moved it when the metal face collides the front of his bike.

Some part of him registers the way it crumpled as pain rushes through his body. The sunglasses go flying and car tires screech as they try to stop from building the already disastrous mess. The truck driver is fine and almost falls out of his truck as he tries comprehend what just happened.

"911" he yells even as he lifts his own phone to his ear "Somebody call 911"

The ambulances arrive shortly but have trouble manoeuvring through the streets that are filled with shocked and panicked people. The rest of the world hardly blinks an eye.

By the time Desmond arrives at a hospital he has already been dead for half an hour.

No one recognises him, he didn't have any ID on him at the time of the crash and for sixty years Desmond is buried without a name.

It is another thirty years before anyone recognises the significance.

Somewhere in a small section of the largest company on earth a group of scientist begin working.

It has been almost thirty one years since they began working. The date is December thirty first 2133 and as the New Year begins Desmond's heart will start beating again for the first time in one hundred and twenty one years.


	2. Rumours of my demise

A/N I couldn't find Desmond's mothers name so I just picked a female name at random, in any case this is an au so it doesn't really matter. Also in this Desmond is 21 instead of 25 and he left the assassins' at 18 instead of 16. There are probably other discrepancies, when I think of them I'll add them.

Also I will probably attempt to write some romance between Lucy and Desmond, but I've never done it before so it may not be too good.

In response to twisteddeal don't worry, the prologue is theoretically the only one that'll be that short, it was really just to get the ball rolling.

Hopefully I'll get more regular updates soon, I was sort of hoping to have a few more chapters written before posting, but hey, it's certainly one approach.

I don't know why but fan fiction's been removing my line breaks.

Rumours of my demise (have been greatly exaggerated)

Desmond Miles was born to William and Rose Miles on the thirteenth of March 1991 and would be reborn on the first of January 2134.

Machines buzzed quietly almost too quiet for a human to hear as scientists monitored screens in another room. Lucy glanced around the square room. It was white, very pristine and filled with computers ready to monitor Desmond's body systems. She took a deep breath and glanced at the white lights above her head.

"All right, start vascular systems" She said knowing that the radio modification in her head would pick up her voice and send it to the scientists in the next room.

"Starting vascular systems" One of the scientists replied. A heart monitor lying next to Desmond began beeping.

"Brain functions" She muttered while moving over to his body.

"Brain functions commencing" She nodded as Desmond's chest began to rise and fall in even rhythms.

She took another deep steadying breath. This was the moment of truth; this was what they had spent the last thirty one years working for.

"Shut down life support" She stated her voice shaking slightly. If Desmond continued breathing, if his heart kept pumping blood and if his brain continued working without the life support then it had been a success. It would take him a few days to wake up if it worked but if it worked god if it worked then world was going to change.

"Shutting down life support" The nameless scientist responded. She stared at the heart monitor.

It didn't stop beeping.

She let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

"This phase of the experiment has been a success, keep him monitored, he should wake up in a few days" The nameless scientist added and she felt like cheering.

"Wha" She heard a croaky voice utter. She turned and looked at Desmond, his eyes were open wide and he was looking confused and shocked.

In the last moments of his life Desmond felt immense pain in every part of his body, he had seen red painted steel, He had heard metal crunching, he had smelt blood, metal and gasoline. He had known all these overwhelming senses in the last moments of life so why was he suddenly feeling fabric underneath him?

He breathed in and smelt disinfectant and that strange sent that was always in hospitals.

He was dead. He had died. He had felt himself disappear. He had died. What was going on?

He opened his eyes and was nearly blinded by impossibly bright lights, he flinched and tried to cover his eyes but his movement was sluggish. His eyes eventually adjusted to the light and he looked around his gaze settled on a woman. She was wearing her blonde hair in a bun and was dressed in a white lab coat. That didn't seem right. Wasn't this a hospital?

He opened his mouth and tried to ask her but his voice was croaky and the movements felt so unfamiliar. What was going on?

The woman walked over to him, looking shocked and surprised.

"Desmond I need you to calm down" She said but it didn't make any sense. Why did he need to calm down? What was going on? He directed his question to the woman.

"I realise this is disorientating but it's very important that you stay calm" Disorientating? Well that was an understatement. He asks her again what's going on and is again told to calm down.

He snaps, grabs her throat and with her neck in his hand he asks her again.

"Just… calm down" She croaks out, he tightens his grip and repeats the question. He doesn't get the chance to hear her answer as he feels a prick of pain in his arm. His eyes widen as she pulls the needle away from him. His grip loosens as everything begins to blur.

He drops into unconsciousness.

The next time he wakes he has a slight headache and is in a new fairly blank room. It is as white as the first room he woke up in and the door and bed are the only features to speak of.

He sits up and pushes the covers off his legs. His movements are still slow and slightly groggy from the sedation.

He's disappointed to find that his clothing is a loose fitting hospital gown. Luckily there is a shirt and some pants on the end of the bed. Less than a minute after he's changed there is knock at the door. He glances over at it and sees the woman from before enter.

"I see you've changed" She says with a slight edge of worry to her voice. He nods while noting she has slight bruises around her neck.

He clears his throat "Uh, sorry for that" He gestures at her neck "I was just a little freaked and yeah, Sorry"

He drops his head and runs a hand through his hair.

"No it's ok, how about we start over, my names Lucy Stillman" She says and offers her hand. He picks his way over and shakes it.

"Desmond Miles, nice to meet you" He smiles at her "now would you mind telling me what's happening, if your allowed, I mean"

"Well I'm not sure if you'll believe me" He responded, dropping his hand and brushing hair out of her eyes.

"Why wouldn't I believe you?" He asks tilting his head to the side.

"Desmond, the year is 2134 you've been dead for a hundred and twenty one years" She says. The smile drops slowly off his face and he stares blankly at her.

"What?" He says completely disbelieving. This is a bad dream. It's just a horribly stupid dream. It has to be.

"We bought you back yesterday, it's the second of January 2134" She repeats it and he can tell she believes it.

"This is a dream isn't it?" He asks a bit desperate now. Please let this be a dream.

"I'm afraid not Desmond. Try to remain calm" She says lightly and holds her hands out in a placating manner. Calm is not an option. He rakes a hand through his hair and stairs at her.

"This has to be a dream" He tells her, gesturing wildly with his arms as though it would make it true.

"Try not to panic" She suggests. He stares at her again blankly, uncomprehendingly.

"Panic, this isn't panic, trust me when I panic you'll know, at the moment I'm just hoping to wake up" He tells her. He goes to run his hand through hair again when something stops him. His tattoo or lack of it. He stares at his arm as though that will make him suddenly see it. His tattoo isn't there.

His eyes roll wildly in their sockets dashing from one thing to the next and he looks like a mad man, they settle back on his arm before jumping over to Lucy.

"I realise this is hard to take in but you need to stay calm" Lucy says while taking a step away from him. The room feels incredibly small suddenly.

"You're serious?" He asks. His back hits a wall and he flinches. He runs his hand down his face still half expecting to wake up.

The year is 2134. He's missed a hundred and twenty one years. How much has changed? Why did they bring him back?

Distantly he feels Lucy's hands on his shoulders.

"Desmond, look at me. It's going to be alright, I need you to focus" She says but he's not listening to her, he's distracted by the pounding of questions in his head. His eyes focus momentarily on Lucy before he drops again into unconsciousness.

The next time he wakes he is silent. Lucy brings him breakfast and he doesn't respond. He sleeps until lunch and then again until dinner. He doesn't say anything. The next three days continue in this pattern.

On the fourth day Lucy gives up hope, places his breakfast on the end of his bed and turns to leave.

"Why me?" Lucy turns around to see Desmond staring blankly at her and it takes her a moment to realise he actually asked the question.

"What do you mean?" She responds as Desmond steps off the bed.

"There were probably hundreds of other people you could've brought back. Why me? I'm not special. Not important. I didn't do anything ground breaking. Why bring me back of all the people on the earth, why a bartender who got killed in a car crash?" He speaks between mouthfuls of food, somehow keeping everything from spilling.

"I'm not allowed to tell you that, I'm afraid" She says with a voice full of caution. He pauses and looks up from his tray, then nods and continues eating.

"Fair enough. I have another question, though. What am I supposed to do here? I mean I assume you don't want me stuck in a room forever, so am I supposed to be in tests or something?" He questions.

"Or something" She admits and Desmond gives her an annoyed look.

"You are very good at this. It's sort of frustrating" He grins and places the now empty tray on the bed.

"Well I've had years of practise. If you're up to it however I can show you around some of the facility" She suggests.

"That sounds infinitely more interesting than lying in here staring at the celling" He offers and they exit the room. The next area is a large room it has a few desks computers and chairs scattered in it and is just as white as the rest of the place. Desmond walks over to one of the computers. It's as thin as glass and after a moment of staring Desmond spots a small projector on the base.

He looks at Lucy who is trying to stifle a giggle and walks back over.

"So are you allowed to tell me about the world now or is that something else you're not allowed to inform me of?" He questions in a teasing tone as they head for a door at the end of the room.

"Well what do you want to know?" She asks, expecting him to question about the computers or how they brought him back to life.

"Everything. Or as much as you can tell me. I figure unless you've got a TARDIS hanging somewhere I'm going to need to be informed" He responds in a light tone.

"I'm sorry, TARDIS?" She asks, confused.

"You're kidding me right?" He says his voice disbelieving.

"Yes, we still have Doctor Who" He looks visibly relieved when she says that. They continue into the next room. It's a small dining room, white, with a table and four chairs in the center. It has two doors one's locked. He asks about it and is told it leads to a kitchen.

They go into the unlocked room and find themselves in a small hall it's lined with six doors. The first three belong to Lucy and some friends of hers, the fourth will be Desmond's, the fifth is a bathroom and sixth is a lounge.

Lucy moves to show him the lounge when she notices him staring at her.

"What?" She asks confused and slightly self-conscious.

"The bruise on your neck healed" He says and seems bewildered. It takes her a moment to realise why this would be strange to him.

"Well I have a healing mod, just a basic one but it speeds up the healing process a bit" She explains but it just leaves him more confused.

"Mod?" She blinks, surprised. She had thought they'd had mods in 2012. They had been so integrated into her life she couldn't imagine life without them.

"Well a mod is a modification to the body, there are internal ones like the healing mod that are called interfaces and external ones like the vehicle mod that are called jacks. They all do different things like the healing mod bolsters the immune system speeds up the body's ability to heal and the vehicle mod allows you to interface with vehicles to drive them" She explains and Desmond nods a look of understanding on his face.

She was silently impressed with how quickly he got used to the idea of living in 2134.

"So everyone has these? Do they pass through the genes?" He questions a curious look crossing his face.

"Well most people do, some of the poorer families don't but everyone else does. However we haven't worked out how to pass Mods through gene's yet. We suspect that the right DNA would be able to but we haven't found it yet" She answered and Desmond looked like he was going to ask another question when voice that sounded utterly full of itself spoke up.

"Miss Stillman I certainly hope you're not telling Mr Miles anything he doesn't need to know" Lucy turned and came face to face with the thin, wrinkled face of Warren Vidic.

"Of course not, I was just showing him around" She tried to look as innocent as possible and hoped he didn't try and talk to Desmond.

"Mr Miles I must say your resurrection certainly started a stir in some of the other facilities. I have to wonder, do you feel lost coming into a completely new world with so little knowledge?" Too late, it seemed Vidic had decided to bother Desmond.

"Oh not at all, It's entirely too easy to catch up on a hundred years of progress, if you could call it that" Desmond gave a smile that spoke of challenge.

"A hundred and twenty one year's Mr Miles, you'd do well to remember it" Vidic responded as though he hadn't been ruffled.

"A hundred and twenty one huh, it only seems like ten, considering in 2012 something came along each day to advance things" Lucy tried her utmost not to smile and knew that Desmond had made an enemy of Vidic. She was impressed by how well Desmond could read him.

"Well Mr Miles this isn't 2012 is it? Whether you like it or not, this isn't your time anymore" Vidic stated as he turned on his heel and left. Desmond turned to look at her.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" He questioned and Lucy lost it. He yawned and blinked tiredly.

"Any reason I'm so tired?" He asked rubbing his eyes.

"Your body isn't used to all moving around so much yet, you should probably get some rest" She told him, He nodded and questioned if he was sleeping in the first room again. She replied that it was probably for the best that he does until they're sure he won't freak out again. He sighed and walked back to the plain room.

He'd been asleep within moments of hitting the covers.


	3. Are we the generation?

A/N take that randomly disappearing summary, that'll teach you to vanish on me.

Yeah, as you're probably aware I had a few problems on this chapter, for a full list of them you can check my profile page. In any case, I got the chapter done eventually, I'm so proud.

So in answer to twisteddeal, there are Templars and Assassin's. The Animus is in this, though not for its usual part, Desmond does have genetic memory… and normal memory, Eagle vision will appear, most definitely, because it's such a fun concept to write, the pieces of Eden are set to appear, but not for a few more chapters, I think that's everything, so here is the chapter.

Are we the generation (that we've been waiting for)

Desmond blinks sleep from his eyes and sits up as has become routine he changes into the clothes on the end of his bed and begins stretching. He yawns and rubs sleep out of his eyes just as Lucy enters with something he can only describe as an advanced iPad. He had tried earlier to leave before Lucy came but the door had remained stubbornly closed.

He ate quickly and asked what was happening today.

"We're going to give you some mods. Just the basic ones at the moment to see how your body reacts to them" She says while glancing at the clipboard in her hands. He questions why his body would react strangely and is informed that the procedures leading up to his resurrection may have affected his body's ability to receive mods. He nods even though some of what she told him fly's over his head.

He's fairly certain she made some of the words up.

The wall of his room opens up they step through into a hall and it slides back together seamlessly. He considers spending a moment looking for cracks on the wall but decides against it when he sees the look Lucy's giving him. The walk down the hall and enter another room. This one is almost featureless the only things in it are a group of computers and an odd machine.

The top is curved, cold metal, the very center lined with glass. Several rings sit in the glass, the edges giving of a faint luminescence. One end has a small semi-circle sitting out of it and it too is lined with glowing circles that jut out slightly in a way he imagines can't be comfortable.

The door opens again and two people enter. The one of the right is a girl and has short black hair and a pair of headphones on her head, she's grinning. The one on the left is male and has orange hair spiked to a point and glasses on his face. They're both dressed in lab coats.

"Oh is this Seventeen?" The girl questions and Desmond can't help but flinch.

"Yeah, this is Desmond Miles" Lucy informs them, before going over to fiddle with the machine.

"Right, well, Shaun Hastings" the man says, pointing to himself, then to the girl "Rebecca Crane"

"Uhh, Nice to meet you?" Desmond offers, and it's almost a question.

"I'm sure, now If you don't mind, I have work to do" Shaun turns around and stalks off to one of the monitors.

Desmond blinks, had he done something to upset him or…

"Don't mind Shaun, he's a dick to everyone" Rebecca explains, joining Lucy.

Desmond glances around, unsure of what to do. In the end he decides to simply stand there until they need him for something.

He doesn't have to wait long.

"Alright Desmond, just lie down on the Animus" Lucy says, not looking up from her screen.

His eyes settle on the only thing in the room that she could possibly be referring to.

He walks over to the machine and climbs onto it. Lucy nods to him and he lays down, his head resting against the semi-circle.

He was right, it _is_ uncomfortable.

"This may hurt a bit" Lucy tells him. Desmond glances over at her, with speed to rival a cheater.

"How much?" He responds, and no he is not whining.

Shaun apparently disagrees, if the barley hidden laugh is anything to go by.

"More than an ant bite" Is Rebecca's contribution.

Desmond considers.

"What if I'm allergic to ants?" he questions. Lucy just shakes her head and tells him to deal with it.

"Ready?" Shaun asks, sounding like he doesn't care either way. He probably doesn't but it would be nice if he tried at least.

In any case he doesn't get a chance to respond because Lucy's already started the machine. Animus, wasn't it?

His ears pick up the sound of a faint motor and the Animus lights up.

He wonders how the Animus works. From what Lucy has told him, he needs to receive at least one external mod and wouldn't his clothes get in the way of that?

He decides it doesn't really matter; they aren't his clothes, after all.

The whirring of motors picks up slightly and something slams into his back. The circular rings that lined the Animus begin working into his flesh.

Desmond gives a small yelp of pain, he's fairly certain it can be forgiven under the circumstances.

"What are you, a tiny child?" apparently it cannot, at least as far as Shaun's concerned.

"Well, technically speaking, this is a new body and it's only been alive for a few days" He responds. Trying to ignore the feeling of his skin being knitted together around the metallic shapes in his back.

Shaun gives him a look of utter contempt, Desmond ignores, it in favour of distracting himself from whatever it is the Animus is doing.

Eventually it stops and Desmond gives a barely audible sigh of relief.

"That wasn't so bad" He confesses.

"Good, because we've only just begun" Lucy admits, not even looking up from her screen to acknowledge him.

He groans into his now mostly destroyed jacket and prepares himself for more mods.

They finish a few hours later and Desmond almost collapses from tiredness.

Lucy helps him to his room, still the same place they've been monitoring him in.

He would've protested if he wasn't so tired.

Once more he's asleep within moments of hitting the covers.

In another time and place gold eyes fly open and Desmond is lost to the world.

The curtains are open and the stage is bare, ready for another performance. One by Altair Ibn La Ahad, master assassin.

It begins with movement. Quick feet pounding in a patterned rhythm.

Three men, each covered by robes and cowls. Hidden despite the stark contrast of their outfits.

A decision, the death of an innocent. No explanation is given and life drains away.

No remorse, no regret.

The two face him, words of anger flying from one's mouth.

He has broken one of the tenets of the creed, even if he refuses to admit it.

_Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent._

He does not respond and they continue.

He sees the enemy, watches with gold eyes and announces himself.

Here he has broken another.

_Hide in plain sight._

It is a joke to them and a mistake for him.

He in haste attacks the enemy and the other two are forced to join him.

He does not succeed and is forced away from the two.

He listens and hears sounds of battle, but not of triumph from his comrades.

Greif bubbles in him briefly but he squashes it, such feelings will not help him at this juncture.

He leaves.

The third tenet broken as he arrives at his home, Maysyaf.

_Do not compromise the brotherhood._

And there his Master lays it all out in front of him, the flaws, and the failures.

He does not listen; he was justified, even though he can bring no explanation.

In the end he is not given the chance.

One of the two he thought dead arrives. Malik, and yet Kadar has perished.

He once more forces down the guilt as Malik informs them of the crusaders attack.

His Master sends him off and he locates another Assassin. This one is quick to inform him of the plan.

He understands and takes his place like the others.

His Master demands it and he does as asked. Jumping without question.

The hay softens the blow and he feels no worse for wear, the Assassin furthest from him, however, has injured himself.

The second stays to tend to the injured and he heads off to complete the plan.

He does as he was told and they are rewarded with the retreat of the enemy.

He is not to be rewarded, he has risked too much.

This is what his Master tells him, even as he protests.

Once more his Master lays the failures in front of him.

And once more he refuses to see.

The blade is buried in his stomach. Life leaving him through the wound.

Darkness peppers his gold eyes.

Death takes him.

Black curtains folding shut over the scene.

The end of act one.

A pause and then an abrupt opening of the curtains reveals act two.

Desmond's eyes flash open.

Panic and a distant pain.

He swallows in an effort to calm himself, even as he hyperventilates.

Eventually he's slowed his racing heart enough to think straight.

"What the fuck?"

A/N I wasn't going to end it there, but it was two good an ending to pass up.

Also I'm curious how everyone feels about the Stage/play metaphor I had. I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but hey, I'll take what I'm given.


End file.
